Chattisgarh High Court
Jyoti Norge vs State Of Chhattisgarh on 12 March, 2026
Author: Ramesh Sinha
Bench: Ramesh Sinha
1
2026:CGHC:11910
NAFR
HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
MCRCA No. 258 of 2026
1 - Jyoti Norge W/o Bhupendra Norge Aged About 33 Years R/o Village-
Rogde, Police Station- Akaltara, Distt- Janjgir Champa (C.G.)
2 - Satyaprakash Nirmalkar S/o Mahendra Kumar Nirmalkar Aged About 32
Years R/o Village- Nariyara, Police Station- Mulmula, Distt.- Janjgir Champa
VAIBHAV
SINGH
(C.G.) ... Applicants
Digitally signed
by VAIBHAV
SINGH
Date:
2026.03.12
17:59:45 +0530
versus
State Of Chhattisgarh Through- Station House Officer, Police Station-
Mulmula, Distt.- Janjgir-Champa (C.G.) ... Respondent
For Applicant : Ms. Raveena Tandon, Advocate.
For Non-applicant/State : Ms. Sameeksha Gupta, Panel Lawyer.
Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 12.03.2026
1. This first anticipatory bail application under Section 482 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 has been filed by the applicant, who are apprehending their arrest in connection with Crime No.400/2025 registered at Police Station - Mulmula, District.- Janjgir-Champa (C.G.) for the offences punishable under Sections 318(4) & 3(5) of the BNS. 2
2. The prosecution story in brief is that, on 23.12.2025, the complainant lodged a writtencomplaint at police station Mulmula, Dist- Janjgir Champa alleging that the complainant met applicant Jyoti Norge, owner of Balaji Enterprises and applicant Satyaprakash Nirmalkar and the applicants convinced the complainant to get service at Vardha Power Plant and against which they demanded 10,000/-. The complainant lent his wife's ornaments and collected 10,000/- and handed over the same to the hand of Jyoti at the house of the complainant. The applicants took 5000/- from Harishankar Kewat, 10000/- from Charansingh Suryavanshi, 20000/- from Nilesh Kumar, 20000/- from Loman Singh Dahariya. The applicants committed cheating on several people to avail service at JSW Power Plant Nariyara. The police registered F.I.R against the applicants under section 318(4), 3(5) of B.N.S.
3. Learned counsel for the applicants submits that the applicant are innocent and has been falsely implicated in the aforesaid case. The applicants are farmers whose lands were acquired by the State of Chhattisgarh for the construction of the K.S.K. Power Plant, which was subsequently renamed as JSW Power Plant. The applicants, along with several other affected farmers, have been protesting for the last three years demanding proper compensation, rehabilitation, employment opportunities in the power plant, and promotion of agricultural activities. The applicants have been playing a leading role in these protests and have submitted several demand letters and representations to the management of the JSW Power Plant as well as to the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue), Janjgir, and the Collector, Janjgir-Champa (C.G.). The applicants had also filed written complaints on 25.07.2024 and 07.10.2024 against the officers of the JSW Power Plant for abusing, 3 harassing, and threatening the farmers, and further lodged a complaint on 10.11.2025 against the Station House Officer of Police Station Akaltara for threatening the applicants to discontinue the protest. In the present case, the prosecution has alleged that the applicants collected money from the complainants on the pretext of providing employment at the JSW Power Plant; however, no material evidence has been collected to substantiate any such transaction. Moreover, the complainants are already working as helpers at the JSW Power Plant under various contractors, and the applicants are the sole breadwinners of their respective families; therefore, their arrest would cause severe hardship to their families.
4. On the other hand, learned State counsel opposes the anticipatory bail application.
5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary.
6. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, the submissions of the learned counsel for the parties, the nature of the dispute, and the material available in the case diary, this Court, without expressing any opinion on the merits, I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the present applicants.
7. Accordingly, the instant MCRCA is allowed and it is directed that in the event of arrest of the applicants - Jyoti Norge & Satyaprakash Nirmalkar, on executing a personal bond and one local surety each in the like sum to the satisfaction of the arresting Officer, he shall be released on bail on the following conditions:-
(a) they shall not directly or indirectly make any 4 inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such fact to the Court.
(b) they shall not act in any manner which will be prejudicial to fair and expeditious trial.
(c) they shall appear before the trial Court on each and every date given to him by the said Court till disposal of the trial.
(d) the applicants and the surety shall submit a copy of his adhaar card along with a coloured postcard full size photo having printed the adhaar number on it, which shall be verified by the trial Court.
(e) they shall not involve themselves in any offence of similar nature in future.
Sd/-
(Ramesh Sinha) CHIEF JUSTICE vaibhav